Top 5 Broadband Plans for Students in Australia

Broadband is an essential element of modern education. Thirty years ago, having a stable internet connection wouldn’t matter, but nowadays it’s critical to your learning experience. Everything happens online – from enrollment to assignment submissions, even registering for graduation (not to mention sharing the grad pics)!

This means that students need reliable internet connections, reasonable download speeds, and a solid amount of data. But on a student budget, it can be hard to find good broadband for an affordable cost. As a result, student internet is often slow and patchy, sometimes hindering your work and making your education difficult.

So, which broadband providers offer cheap but reliable plans? The National Broadband Network (NBN) has given rise to a boom in new internet companies, so students now have a much broader choice of internet provider. This guide will take you through the best internet plans for students, so you can find fast and dependable broadband at affordable prices.

What is the Best Broadband for Students?

Since there are so many broadband plans for Australian students, it’s difficult to pick just one that comes out on top. Besides, students aren’t a homogeneous group and each person will have different requirements and budgets. 

There are both full-time and part-time students, for one, and those with varying WiFi priorities. Some will rely on their internet connection for study alone, while others will turn to online streaming or use their broadband for gaming between study sessions. Some students live alone or with family, while others choose student housing so they can share the bills with their friends.

While it’s clear that each student will have different needs from a broadband deal, there are some overarching qualities that a student internet plan must have. It must be cheap, reliable, and at least decently speedy. Plus, no-lock-in contracts are a bonus, since this allows you to try out a plan and switch providers if you’re not getting the speeds or service you desire.

Thanks to the wide NBN rollout, there are many broadband providers we could pick that would suit a student budget. Southern Phone, iPrimus, and MATE Broadband all came to mind, but we think Dodo Broadband, with their incredibly cheap rates, are the best provider for students. Their NBN plans perform well and their prices are highly affordable.

Best Internet Providers for Students

While value for money may be at the top of the list, it’s not the only point of reference by which we’re measuring the top broadband plans for students. NBN and ADSL plans that offer unlimited data are the best, since 4G and wireless-only options don’t give you the freedom you need to enjoy a happy and healthy student life. 

As a student, you may also be interested in internet bundles with TV and other services. They offer great value for money if you’re after extra streaming services, but if you’re solely focused on the internet then perhaps they’re best avoided.

From Telstra to Southern Phone, MATE to iPrimus, check out our list of the top five broadband providers for students in Australia. In our review, we take into account the reliability, responsiveness, flexibility, and data caps of each plan. This list is in no particular order.

1. Dodo Broadband

Dodo Broadband sells itself on speed and flexibility, not to mention affordability. The telco’s range of NBN plans all include a modem and unlimited data, so you won’t have to worry about exceeding the limit. Their plans are categorised by speed and range from slow 15Mbps plans to upwards of 200Mbps deals.

Dodo’s plans are all month-to-month, meaning you can cancel your contract at any time. When you join, there’ll be a one-off registration and modem installation fee, but from then on every month costs the same. You can even bundle other services, like Fetch TV, into your plan!

2. Southern Phone

Southern Phone offers cheap broadband plans and covers a wide range of options. If you’re a student living in a remote area, if you’re outside the NBN zone, or you just don’t want an NBN plan, Southern Phone will have something for you. With ADSL, satellite, and mobile broadband plans, your internet needs will be covered.

As always, the cheaper plans are the slower ones. Southern Phone NBN plans are pricier than their Sky Muster satellite plans, but the former boast faster download speeds. However, if you’re not someone who cares about high-speed gaming or streaming TV, there are plenty of affordable Southern Phone plans for you.

3. iPrimus

With a plethora of streaming services in Australia today, it’s a given that students don’t just use the internet for their studies. Entertainment, gaming, and online streaming are all priorities for the modern student. Luckily, iPrimus offers some affordable plans that also boast reliably fast speeds. Plus, if you’re looking for something to watch, Fetch TV can be bundled in for a little bit extra. With iPrimus plans, you won’t have to compromise speed for affordability.

4. Telstra

A proven and dependable internet service provider, Telstra offers widespread connectivity, exciting bundles, and rewarding perks. You can find deals like unlimited data, free streaming subscriptions to BINGE and Foxtel Now, and no-lock-in contracts all rolled into affordable plans.

Students will love the cheapest Telstra plan because you can get a range of services bundled into one bill, reducing the hassle of managing your monthly expenses. However, Telstra plans aren’t as cheap as other providers.

5. MATE Broadband

MATE Broadband only offers NBN plans, but if you’re at a university or college you’ll most likely be within the NBN rollout zone. MATE plans are perfect for students, since they’re much cheaper than a lot of broadband providers and you can choose to add your mobile and home phones to the same bill payment. 

Plus, their friendly and fully Australia-based customer support team can take you through the setup and account information with efficiency and patience. If it’s your first time managing bills, this generosity will be greatly appreciated.

How to Choose the Best Internet Plan for Aussie Students

Before deciding which plan is right for you, you need to ask yourself a few questions. What’s your budget? What kind of plans are available in your location? And, more importantly, how fast do you want your connection to be? 

Speed, latency, reliability, data limits, cost, and location are all factors that will determine what the best internet plan is for you as a student in Australia. Before picking a broadband plan, consider the following questions:

How Fast Does Your Connection Need to be?

Speed determines a lot when it comes to internet usage. If your speeds are too slow, your user experience will decline drastically with every extra minute you have to wait for webpages to load, downloads and online streaming. Picking the best plan means picking one with suitable speeds. A speed-to-cost ratio is usually your best bet when it comes to choosing the right plan.

On a side note, if you ever feel like your internet speeds aren’t performing as well as you’d expect, you can always run an internet speed test. It’s quick and easy to discover your download and upload speeds. If you find that something’s off, contact your broadband provider.

What is Your Broadband Budget?

This is most relevant to full-time students and those living on their own. Not everyone has the time to work a full-time job alongside regular study, and not everyone lives with reliable housemates or parents who can pay a premium rate for broadband. Consider how much you can afford to pay before choosing a plan.

Where are You Located?

Location is paramount to both a reliable and speedy internet connection. While a number of latency-related factors are generally out of your control, having a better understanding of these issues can help you make your final decision. The least you can do is to find out how far you are from your chosen provider’s exchange, or whether you’re within the NBN rollout map. If you are located more than five kilometres from an exchange, your internet’s latency and loading times will be higher.

How Reliable is the Connection?

A solid connection is a must. Studying requires online research, access to online journals, uploading assignments, and liaising with online study groups. As a student, you need to know that your internet will give you the speed and responsiveness you require. An NBN connection is best for this, since the system is designed to never be truly “down”. While broadband outages aren’t uncommon, the NBN is generally reliable.

Are There Any Data Limits?

Emails, messaging, and uploading assignments generally do not take up a lot of data, unless you’re downloading massive files on a regular basis as part of your course. Still, it’s rare that any student is just using the internet for study purposes. With so much of our lives happening online, you need to make sure you have enough data to balance study and leisure. Fortunately, most plans nowadays come with unlimited data.

How Flexible is the Plan?

As a student, you’ll most likely move houses every year. That means you need a broadband plan that’s flexible and easy to cancel. No-lock-in contracts are ideal, so look out for providers who offer these. It pays to find a plan that’s flexible enough to let you pack up and relocate should you need to.

Student Internet FAQs

Sorting WiFi when you’re a student can be daunting, since it’s the first experience of organising bills for many young Australians. If you’ve still got queries about it all, the following frequently asked questions can offer some help.